Queries

A writer friend of mine is trying to write a query to send to agents for the book he just finished. He’s had a rough time of it. He’s brought two of his efforts to our writing group, and neither of them quite worked. That’s why I got excited when Staci Troilo wrote a blog for loglines on Story Empire. https://storyempire.com/2023/08/23/loglines/

Staci is a writer and an editor, and she knows her stuff. I always learn something when it’s her turn to submit to Story Empire. But then, I learn from every writer on there. It’s nice to hear what other writers have learned from experience. The thing that I liked most about Staci’s article this time was that she broke down an entire book in a sentence or two. And for query letters, I think that’s a plus.

I haven’t written a query letter in a long time, so I did a search for an article that I hoped might be helpful for a writer who’s doing it now. And I found this: https://www.nownovel.com/blog/how-to-write-query-letter/ I think it has some good advice to think about before you send to an agent.

Staci challenged each of us to come up with a logline for our WIP, and I have to say, it’s not as easy as she makes it sound. But for my 2nd Nick and Laurel novel, I came up with this: When Laurel’s friend asks her to help find who killed a guitar player he knew well, she and her husband Nick, a former crime reporter, start interviewing members of bands in their town and learn that a lead singer of a band in Indianapolis was stabbed to death in a similar fashion two years ago, making them think maybe a stalker might be responsible for the crimes.

I don’t know if you’re looking for an agent or need a query letter, but I have to admit, thinking about what would make my books sell, what might hook a reader, has been interesting. I learned a few things by accident:)